By Dee Longfellow
Last week, the Independent learned that a new group had formed among the parents of District 205 students, especially those at York High School. The group is called EPIC, which stands for Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum. The group, led by Thomas Chavez, just released the following statement last week about their mission:
“Recent communications from the York High School principal, Shahe Bagdasarian, dated Jan. 21, touted the fact that York students were passing their classes at a rate of over 97%, a metric from District 205 data collected from 2017 to 2021. That same communication admitted that one of the things York has also done is to get rid of final exams in many classes. This sounds like lowering standards to make it easier to pass a class to us.
“In response to our inquiry, we were surprised that Principal Bagdasarian called this conclusion–that eliminating comprehensive final exams makes it easier for more students to pass a class—’misinformation.’
“We did not reach this conclusion lightly. Our data analysis showed, while York students have a high class pass rate, once they hit the real world of third-party standardized tests, their actual student outcomes are falling, and have been for several years.
“The Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum (EPIC) was formed because we take curriculum quality and standards seriously. We do not help our students by offering them a substandard curriculum. We should set expectations high. Parents choose Elmhurst because they trusted that Elmhurst schools would deliver a top tier education. Our pre-COVID data shows that hasn’t been happening, and the post-COVID data shows things are getting even worse.
“We call on the York administration and the District 205 School Board to hold a Special Board meeting that will finally start to engage with members of the public and concerned parents.
We also call on the York administration and District 205 School Board to initiate a thorough curriculum review, with parental involvement and meaningful community oversight, on critical subjects such as math, English, science, and social studies, so that our schools can get back on the right track.”
Chavez then explained EPIC’s mission in the released statement:
“EPIC is a local, parent-driven, organization working to ensure our schools stay focused on education strategies and curriculum that works, and will prepare our students to be thriving, successful citizens who are proud of their achievements and their country,” the statement said. “EPIC promotes academic achievement, and a robust, non-political education for our children by demanding transparency and accountability from the District 205 Board of Education, school administrators and teachers. EPIC will raise awareness in the community and insist that our school board hold accountable individuals within the school infrastructure who abuse or misuse the trust that parents place in them to help their students.”
For more information visit www.epic205.org, like us on Facebook at Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum, or send an email to [email protected].
